Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus which can be remotely controlled from a portable terminal and a tangible computer-readable recording medium therefor.
Description of Related Art
There is a technology in which an image forming apparatus which is a so-called multi function peripheral having a copy function of optically reading an original to print the read image, a function of obtaining image data by reading an original to transmit the obtained image data to an external device, and the like, can be controlled from a remote operation panel, such as a tablet, a portable terminal or the like, and therefore the operability for setting and inputting a job is enhanced (for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-90077).
In case that a multi function peripheral is operated by using remote operation panels, it is assumed that a plurality of users operates the identical multi function peripheral from different remote operation panels almost at the same time. For example, the following situation shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B is assumed. In the assumed situation, the user A sets an original 81 to a document feeder of the multi function peripheral 80 (P1). Then, the user B who is apart from the multi function peripheral 80 transmits a custom instruction for carrying out both the copy of the original 81 and the transmission of the image of the original 81, from the remote operation panel 82 to the multi function peripheral 80 (P2). Immediately after the step P2, the user A who is near the multi function peripheral 80 transmits the copy instruction from the user A's remote operation panel (P3). In FIG. 11B, each step is shown in time sequence.
In this situation, the multi function peripheral 80 carries out the copy of the original 81 which is set by the user A and the transmission of the image of the original 81 in accordance with the custom instruction received from the user B. However, because the copy instruction of the user A is transmitted immediately after the custom instruction of the user B is transmitted (for example, 0.5 second later), the user A mistakenly recognizes the copy operation executed in accordance with the custom instruction of the user B as the copy operation executed in accordance with the copy instruction of the user A. Therefore, the trouble in which the user A does not become aware that the transmission of the image of the original 81 is carried out in addition to the copy of the original 81, could be caused. That is, before the user A becomes aware of the above transmission, the image of the original 81 of the user A is transmitted in accordance with the instruction of the user B and the information of the original is leaked. Also, in case that the user A enters the copy instruction by using the operation panel provided in the multi function peripheral 80, the same trouble could be caused.